Universal torque-transmitting device



Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,775

E. H. wEBB IvmasAL To Quai' yMITTI Fi adam. 8. 1924 n Sn 2 17 14l xNvENToR l j fmes H. Web y BY Y @wrm 1CM/wSuMA4M l ATTORNEYS 'r' OFFICE. l

ERNEST H. WEBB, 0F NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

UNIVERSAL TOEQU-TRANSMITTING DEVICE.

Application led January 18, 1924. Serial No. 687,143.

This invention relates to torcue-transmitting couplings. More speciica ly it relates to universal torque-transmitting couplings; i. e.to couplings adapted to transmit tor ue from a. driving member to a driven mem er and to permit of relative angular movement of the axes of rotation of said members while the driving is bein effected.

Som'eof the objects o the invention are to provide couplin s of the abovedescribe'd type which are etlcient ,in operation, comparatively simple in construction andl eas to rassemble and disassemble, and in whic the wear is greatly reduced so that long useful life is attained. Other objects and advantages will appear as the invention is hereinaft'er disclosed.

Referring to the drawin s which illustrate what I now consider a pre erred form of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a torque-transi mitting coupling or universal jolnt.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the universal joint shown in Fig. 1 but with the upper half of the outer member removed and with va part of the inner member broken away, Fig. 2 showing the whole device rotated 180 about a vertical axis with respect to the position Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken n the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-.-4 of Fig. 3. v

The coupling 'is shown as comprising an r inner member 10 andan outer. member 11 which at least artally surrounds the inner member when t e parts are assembled. For the purpose of the present disclosure it will be assumed that the outer member 11 isthe driving member and is to drive the inner or driven member 10, it being understood that either Yof said members 10 and 11 may be employed as the driving member and the other as the driven member. v

The inner member 10 is provided with a pair of vdiametrically opposed substantially emispherical seats or sockets 12, 12, the centers of which lie upon the axis4 4 which -passes through the center 0 of the couplings and lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation o the members 10 and 11 when these axes are in alignment. The outer member 11 is'provided with a pair of diametrically opposed substantially hemispherical seats or sockets 14, 14, the centers of which 11e upon the axis 5 5 which passes through the' lin the sockets 12, 12g/are adapted to roll upon relative rotation of ,the members 10 and 11 about the axis 5 5. It will be noted that the centers of the balls 1,7, 17, are substantially -ixed with respect to the outer member 11,

the center ofveach of these two balls being .at all times (no matter what the relative positions of the inner and outer members y10 and 11 may be) the same' as the center of curvature of a corresponding one of the seats or sockets ,14, 14. Likewise the centers of the balls 19, 19, 'are substantially ixed with respect to the inner member4 10, the center of each of these two balls beingat alltimes (no matter what the relative positions of the inner and outer members 10 and 11 may be) the same as the center of curvature of a corresponding one of the fseats or sockets 12',I 12. Or, in other words, the axis 5 5 through the centers'of the two balls 17 17, is ixed with respect tothe outer member 11, and

the axis 4-4 through the centers of the two balls 19, 19, is fixed with respect to the in-J ner member 10. Each of the raceways 18, 18

By( virtue of the construction above def scribed, it will be seen that the balls 17 17 and'19, 19, act as keys between the members 10, 11, so that rotation of the latter or outer member about the axis OX will drive or cause rotation of the inner member 10 about the axis OY. This drive connection or coupling is effective even though the axes OX and OY are at any one of a number of diierent angles wit respect to each other in view of the fact that the members 10 and 11 are movable with respect to each other about either or both of the axes 4- 4 and 5 5. The driving member 11 may be bolted or otherwise secured or connected to a flange 21 of an engine or motor to be driven thereby and the driven member may be secured to a shaft 22 to transmit power. The shaft 22 s shown provided with a tapered end which fits into a tapered bore .in the member 10 and which is provided with a capscrew 23-whereby the shaft and member P10 may be operatively connected. If necessary or desirable a key pin 24 may be provided between the shaft 22 and vthe member 10 to insure that there shall be-no rotation of these two members with respect to each other.

' will be further noted that that end of the member 11 through which the shaft 22 prosembly, inspection and repair, .the outer mem' jects is externally shaped' as a portion of -a sphere having its center at O the center of the coupling. By virtue of this construction, the shaft 22 may be provided with a grease-retaining cup or shield (not shown) having an inner spherical surface centered at 0 and adapted to fit, more or less closely, the outer spherical surface of the member 11. For convenience in manufacture, as-

ber 11 is shown made in two halves detachably joined by screws 25 which pass through holes in'one section and into tapped holes in the other.

In the form of invention lthus far described', there are four torque-transmitting balls which serve as keys. If Ait is desired to transmit greater torque or to lessen the wear of parts, a greater number of torque-transmitting balls may be employed. For example, eight balls may be yemployed by adopting the structure which I shall now proceed to describe.

The inner member 10 is provided with two additional race-ways 30, 31. In the particular arrangement shown, the race-way 30 is of such conguration as would be generated as follows. Fig. 3 shows ythe relative position of the members 10 and 11 when their axes OX and OY arein alignment. The center of the semicircle 30 (Fig. 3) lies on the circle passing through the centers of the balls 17, 19. In the present embodiment, this center lies also upon a'line which passes through the center of the coupling and makes anangle of 45 with the axis 4 -4. If this semicircle is rotated about the axis 4 4, the race-way 30 will be generated. The raceway 31 is symmetrically located and similarly delined on the oppositeside of the member 10.

The outer member 11 is provided with two additional race-ways 32,33. They race-way 32 may be defined as generated by rotating l, the semicircle 32 (whose center Fig. 3 is the same as that of the above mentioned usmicircle 30) about the axis 5 5. Similarly the race-way 33 would be generated by centers of the balls 17, 17, 19, 19, shown in Fig. 3. Four torque-transmitting balls 35, 36, 37 and 38 (shown in dotted lines in Fig.

3) may be located at the intersections of the race-ways 30, 31, 32 and 33, the ball 35 being at the intersection of the race-ways 31-32, the ball 36 being at the intersection of the race-ways 30-32, the ball 37 being at the intersection of the race-ways 30 33' and the ball 38 being at the intersection of the race-ways 31 33. When the members 10 and 11 move with respect to each other about the axis 4 -4, the balls 35, 38 roll lin the race-way 31, and the balls 36, 37 ,'roll in the race-way 30; when the members 10 and 11 move with respect t0 each other about the axis 5 5, the balls 35, 36 roll in the race-way 32, and the balls 37, 38, roll in the race-way 33; and when .the members 10 and 11 move with respect to each other about both axes 4 4 and 5 5, each of' the balls 35, 36, 37 and 38 rolls in both of the race-ways in which 'it is mounted.' By virtu-e 'of this construction, a universal joint having eight torque-transmitting, key-forming, balls is provided. The torque is transmitted smoothly and the wear is minimized by virtue of the fact that each of the balls may revolve in any direction about its center. order that the coupling illustrated may be assembled, each 'of the sections which together constitute the outer member 11 is provided with a trough 41 (one of which is shown in Fig. 2) which is semicircular in cross-section and leads from one of the ends of the member 10 into a corresponding one of the race-ways 32 and 33. The coupling may be assembled as follows.

A ball 17 iscplaced in the socket or seat 14 in the lower section of the member 11 and the balls 19, 19, are placed in the sockets 12, 12 of the member 10, the latter being then placed in the lower section of the member 11. The other of the balls 17 is now placed inthe seat or socket 14 of the other section of the member 11, and the member 10, with the first mentioned section of the member 11 held in position thereon, is placed in the second mentioned section of lthe outer member. The

screws 25, 25, may nowbe driven home to.'

into the intersection of the race-ways 30-33 by rotating the inner member about the axis 5-5 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3) to a sufflcient extent, inserting the ball through the' trough 41 into the raceway 33, and thence also into the raceway 30. The balls 35, 36 and 38 may be inserted into their positions by performing similar operations. 'Ihe in-.

ner member 10 can then ,be rotated about the axis 5-n in an anti-clockwise direction, returning member 10 to such position that axis OX will be substantially 1n alignment with axis OY. The shaft 22 may now ybe inserted into the opening in the inner member 10, the key 24 inserted and the cap screw 23 screwed home.

The assembly, operation, and disassembly of the form of invention illustrated will now be understood by those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing'description.

In accordance with the provisions of thel patentstatutes, I have herein described the principle of operation of my lnventlon, together with the apparatus which I now consider toy represent the best embodiments m thereof, but I desire to have Ait understood.

' between said members, two of said balls having their centers lying on an axis about 'which said members are relatively movable and two others of said balls having their centersA lying on axis at an angle to lsaid first- I named axis and about which second-named axis said members are relatively movable, one of said members having seats for the balls whose centers lie upon the first-mentioned axis and having race-ways for the balls whose centers lie upon the second-mentioned axis, the other of said members having seats for the balls whose centers lie upon the second-mentioned axis and havinglraceways for the balls whose centers lie upon the first-mentioned axis land both of said members having additional race-ways of which the race-ways in one member intersect those of the other member, and in which balls are mounted at the intersect-ions of the raceways. A y

2'. A universal torque-transmitting coupling comprising in combination, aninner member and an outer member, balls mounted between said members, two of said balls having their centers lying on an axis about which said-members are relatively movable and two others of said balls having their centers lying on axis\at an langle to said firstnamed axis and about which second-named axis said members arerelatively movable, one of said members having substantially hemispherical seats for the balls whose centers 11e upon the lfirst-mentioned axis and having race-ways for the, balls whose centers lie upon the second mentioned axis, the v other of said members having substantially hemispherical seats for the balls whose centers'lie upon the second-mentioned axis' and havlng race-wa s for the balls whose centers lie upon t e hist-mentioned axis, and both of said members having additional raceways of which the race-ways in one member intersect those of the other member, and balls mounted at the intersection of the raceways. v

3. A universal torque-transmitting couat least artially surrounds the other, the inner sur ace of the outer member being provided with a plurality of race-ways andthe outer.` surface of the inner member bein provided with a plurality of race-ways whic intersect said first-mentioned race-ways on pling) comprisino in combination, a driving, em er and a dsriven member one of which a plane at right angles to the axis of rotation of said members when the axesd of said members are in alignment, said. outer member having troughs intersecting said firstmentioned race-ways, and balls-mounted in said race-ways at all of the intersections of the race-ways. 1

4. 'A universal torque-transmittin couplin comprising in combination, a riving memer and a driven member, one of which at least artially surrounds the other, the inner sur ace`of the outer member being provided with a plurality of race-ways and the outer surface of the inner member being ro` vided with a plurality of race-ways w 'ch intersect said irst mentioned race-wa s, a

noo

plurality of balls associated with both o said y members, and means comprising a trough intersectin one of said rst mentioned raceways an intersecting one yof said last mentioned race-ways when the axes of said driving member and of said driven member are at a predetermined angle whereby a ball may be introduced to the intersection of said last mentioned race-ways through'said means.

5. A universal torque-transmittin coupling `comprising in combination, a riving member and a driven member, one of which at least artially surrounds the other, the inner sur ace of the outer'member being provided with a pluralityy of race-ways a d the outer surface of the inner member beig provided with a plurality of race-ways whi intersect said rst mentioned race-ways, a

plurality of balls adapted to be disposed at the intersections at said race-Ways, and means normally intersecting the race-Ways of one of said members and adapted to inter- `5 sect the race-ways of the other of said members when the axes of said members are at predetermined angles whereby said balls.

may be introduced to the intersections of said first mentioned race-Ways with said second mentioned race-Ways. 10

In testimony whereof I hereto aiX my signature.

ERNEST H. WEBBL 

